Apple - ResearchKit

HealthKitHealthkit provides a single platform where applications can contribute to a composite profile of different health and activity data. Data can be gathered by using iPhone’s motion sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones or even the touch screen. There are other third party devices like blood sugar meters, weight machines, heart rate monitors, blood oxygen level monitors etc. that can be connected to the iPhone via various methods to provide data to health app. This data is very helpful to the individuals, doctors and researchers.

ResearchKitResearchKit is an open source framework introduced by Apple that allows researchers and developers to create powerful apps for medical research

Our focus for this article is to present an overview on how apple’s health kit is being used in medical research- the ResearchKit. Research kit is a framework tailored towards medical research. Using ResearchKit, researchers can create app easily. ResearchKit works with iPhone, Healthkit and third party apps or devices to turn itself in powerful diagnostic tool.

Apps

ResearchKit

The basic principle for these apps can be divided into three modules-

1. Surveys

2. Informed Consent

3. Active Tasks

mPower AppThe variability in Parkinson’s disease symptoms has left many questions unanswered. So the University of Rochester and Sage Bionetworks created the mPower app to precisely measure data such as dexterity, balance, memory, and gait. This information could help researchers better understand how various symptoms are connected to Parkinson’s disease. In turn, participants could start to recognize their own signs and symptoms.

mPower App

mPower App

Who will host the data?

According to Fortune-

Apple is acting only as a conduit for the iPhone data to get to researchers. For now, universities that build apps on the ResearchKit platform will host their own data. However, it’s possible that the data might eventually end up on government servers, especially if the National Institutes of Health deems it essential to the public good, said Ramirez. Meanwhile, health data from private companies often is hosted on the companies’ own servers if they are large, or Amazon’s AMZN -0.83% cloud if the companies are small.

src-http://fortune.com/2015/03/15/apples-researchkit-is-a-big-hit-at-sxsw/

Who will have access to data?

This study gives you the option to share your data in 2 ways:

1- Share broadly with the research world:  You can choose to share your coded study data with qualified researchers worldwide for use in this research and beyond. Coded study data is data that does not include personal information such as your name or email. Qualified researchers are registered users of Synapse who have agreed to use the data in an ethical manner for research purposes, and have agreed to not attempt to re-identify you. If you choose to share your coded study data, the coded data will be added to a shared dataset available to qualified researchers on the Sage Bionetworks Synapse servers. (www.synapse.org). Sage Bionetworks will have no oversight on the future research that qualified researchers may conduct with the coded study data.

2- Share with Sage Bionetworks and its partners only: You can choose to share your study data only with the study team and its partners. The study team includes the sponsor of the research and any other researchers or partners named in the consent document. Sharing your data only with Sage Bionetworks means that your data will not be made available to anyone other than those listed in the consent document and for the purposes of this study only.

If required by law, your data (study data and account information), and the signed consent form may be disclosed to:

• The US National Institute of health, Department of Health and Human Services agencies, Office for Human Research Protection, and other agencies as required,

• Institutional Review Board who monitors the safety, effectiveness and conduct of the research being conducted,

• Others, if the law requires

The results of this research study may be presented at meetings or in publications. If the results of this study are made public, only coded study data will be used, that is, your personal information will not be disclosed.

You can change the data sharing setting through the app’s preferences at any time.  For additional information review the study website parkinsonmpower.org

Development Resources